An Alchemist's Crusade
by AnonymousArrancar
Summary: Takes place after the last episode of FMA. What happens when Ed joins the Magdalene Order, and Al is tricked onto Aion's side?
1. Crash Landing

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or Chrono Crusade.**

**Chapter One- Crash Landing**

* * *

The cold rain pounded on his back, soaking through his clothes and jolting him awake. The blond haired teenager pushed himself off the pavement, getting onto his hands and knees. He breathed heavily through his mouth, trying to remember where he was and how he got there. It was dark, wherever he was, and the rain fogged up anything two feet ahead of him. The only thing that he was sure of was that he was on a road.

The teenager sighed, running a gloved hand down his face in a vain attempt to brush the water droplets off. He stopped and stared at the white-gloved hand, and then proceeded to inspect the rest of his attire. He was wearing brown slacks with a matching coat and vest, a white shirt underneath that. His brow furrowed in confusion. They weren't his usual black shirt and pants with a red coat. Was he wearing that before …? He hissed as the memory seared through his mind. Of course! He was performing human transmutation to bring his brother back from the Gate. But then, why was he alive?

He slowly got to his feet and staggered back a few steps as he regained his balance, shaking his head. No matter how much he wanted to deny it, the truth was in front of him. How could this have happened? It had been fair, it was equivalent exchange: his life for Al's. If he lived, then did that mean that Al … was he …?

"Al," he whispered hoarsely. And then, more strongly, "_AL!_"

As if responding to his cry, two bright lights shined from the left. He shielded his eyes but didn't look away. He was too bewildered from his revelation that he didn't hear a horn honking loudly.

The lights came closer and closer, until he realized too late what it was.

He only had time to turn his body to the left before a car collided with him. He soared through the air as he was thrown off his feet, spinning once. He landed on the hard pavement of a sidewalk, his left shoulder breaking the fall. There was a sickening crack that reverberated down the length of his entire arm. He gasped at the sharp pain, closing his eyes tightly and clenching his teeth to keep from screaming. And although he knew it probably wasn't a good idea, he tried to get up again.

"Hey!" a high-pitched voice rang out. It echoed fuzzily in his ears. "You shouldn't move!"

"Shut up," he meant to snap, but it came out as a weak slur. He managed to pull himself into a sitting position. When he opened his eyes, bright spots clouded part of his vision, but he could see a young girl in front of him. Was she the one who hit him? He couldn't get a good look (it's dark, raining, and he was just hit by a car), but he could just barely make out the nun's uniform she wore. The girl gingerly placed her hand on his forehead, ignoring his feeble efforts to shake her off. Her hand was ice cold!

"You're going to be alright," she said over the rain. "We've called someone from the Magdalene Order to help, so they should be here soon."

He didn't know what she was talking about, but nodded anyway. His head lolled to the side as everything started to spin. Instead of one girl in front of him, there were about four.

"Are you alright?" four girls, who were actually one girl, asked.

He fell backwards, his head connecting with the pavement hard enough to only cause a bruise. He stared up as the raindrops came down, which was soon replaced with the girl hovering over him. She blurred away to black as an image of Alphonse Elric appeared in his mind's eye.

"I'm sorry, Al."

**:DDDD:**

Sister Rosette Christopher of the Magdalene Order knew she was in for the scolding of a life time. After all, she had almost killed a kid.

Rosette and Chrono were coming back from a mission. She was feeling pretty good about it; she –astonishingly – didn't crash the car, hadn't damaged a single building, and successfully exorcised the devil with minimal civilian casualties. She had been boasting about it to Chrono when it started pouring like someone had left the water running in a sink. Chrono pointed out that she also had to avoid crashing the car on the way _back _to the Magdalene Order, but Rosette wasn't worried about it. She told Chrono that everything was going so well, she felt like it was her lucky day.

Her words came back to bite her when the form of a person appeared on the road. As soon as she saw the boy standing in the middle of the street like that, she honked her horn. Apparently the kid was deaf, and didn't move. She and Chrono both took hold of the driver's wheel as they tried to turn the car away. Unfortunately, they still hit him at forty miles per hour. The glass cracked as the boy impacted it, and Rosette stomped on the brake. She and Chrono were pulled forward by the sudden stop. After they had snapped back into their seats, Rosette was still gripping the wheel, her knuckles white. She breathed heavily, trying to think about what just happened. The thought of killing someone, even accidently, was enough to make her want to cry, because it was still a sin.

She hurriedly told Chrono to call the Order, and roughly opened the door. The rain hammered down and stung her skin, as if punishing her for what she had done. She quickly spotted the kid lying on the sidewalk. Rosette didn't need to see him to know that he was either dead or, at the very least, severely injured. She was relieved when she heard him groan, but was shocked when he tried to get up. She shouted at him to not move, sprinting up to him. She knelt in front of him, getting a good look at the idiot whose life she was worried about.

He looked to be around thirteen or fourteen. His blond bangs stuck to the sides of his face due to the rain, and the rest of his hair was braided, like Chrono's. When he opened his eyes, she noticed that they were an odd golden color. Suddenly remembering the situation, she carefully placed her hand on his forehead to check his temperature. His overly-heated skin was evidence of a growing fever. She tried to comfort herself with the fact that help would come, and even voiced it aloud to the kid. He nodded … before falling back and hitting his head on the sidewalk. Rosette cringed at the _thump_ sound it made, and bent over him to see if he was alright. Just as his eyes were closing, he apologized to someone named Al.

Not long after that, Father Remington arrived with a few other Sisters. The Sisters took him and drove back to, Rosette assumed, the medical wing of the Magdalene Order. Father Remington stayed behind to give her and Chrono a lift in his car.

While they were driving back, Rosette stayed silent, refusing to look at Chrono or even Father Remington when they tried to speak to her. It was unnerving for Chrono, who had gotten used to her loud comments and complaints. Seeing her like this made his heart twist with worry.

By the time they finally arrived at the Order, the sun had begun to rise and the downpour had reduced to a light drizzle, causing a rainbow to stretch across the sky. It was very beautiful, but went unnoticed by the gloomy group. Rosette was worried about that fate of the boy and facing Sister Kate; Chrono was worried for Rosette; and Father Remington, though his stoic expression revealed nothing, was worried for all of them.

And now Rosette stood uneasily before large wooden double doors, which looked more intimidating than usual, the entrance to Sister Kate's office. She could practically feel the head Sister's wrath seeping out from under the doors.

"Just get it over with, Rosette," Chrono tried his best to ease his partner. "The longer you wait, the angrier Sister Kate will get."

"Easy for you to say!" she hissed quietly, glaring at him. "You don't have to go in there!"

He looked away, not quite sure how he could respond to that.

After a moment, Rosette sighed. "Sorry, Chrono."

Chrono nodded. "It's jake." He understood that Rosette was in deep trouble, not to mention she must have felt extremely guilty about the kid. She was a nun, and this sort of thing wasn't something a nun would usually get involved in.

Rosette glanced at her partner before putting on a strong face. Without any further hesitation, she opened the door and stepped inside.

Maybe it was her imagination, but Sister Kate's office seemed colder and darker than usual. It could've been because the sun was still rising and hadn't had a chance to brighten and warm up the place. Yeah, that was it.

Sister Kate's chair was turned so that Rosette wasn't able to see her yet, adding to her nervousness. With each step she took, she felt her bravado from before fading away as fast as a bullet. She stopped in front of the wooden desk, which was already stacked with paperwork, and waited with her gaze firmly on the floor. A few heart-pounding moments later, she heard Sister Kate swivel around in her chair. Rosette couldn't bear to look up at the anger and disappointment that was bound to be in the tough nun's piercing eyes.

"Rosette, look at me."

She hesitantly looked up, and felt her eyes widen. Sister Kate was definitely disappointed but, instead of the anger Rosette was expecting, she seemed to be worried. But why? Rosette was about to ask her, when Sister Kate raised her hand to stop her.

"I know what happened was unintentional, an accident. And I know that as a Sister, you must be feeling terrible."

Rosette nodded.

"However, this is something that _cannot_ happen again." Her voice took on a sharper tone. "You were careless, and for that, you will be punished."

Rosette nodded again. Usually, she would have protested or complained. But this time was different. This time, it was her fault and she knew it. She braced herself for the worst punishment Sister Kate could give.

The head sister opened her eyes. "You won't be assigned to any missions until that boy is completely healed." Rosette's shoulders drooped. "And you will aid in his recovery."

"Yes, Sister Kate," Rosette said solemnly. She knew she deserved it, but it was still frustrating that she wouldn't be able to go on missions. Sister Kate told her she could leave, which she quickly did. She leaned against the door after she closed it, breathing a sigh of relief. On the ground waiting for her, Chrono was sitting cross-legged. He was surprised when Rosette came out and he hadn't heard any yelling.

"So how'd it go?" he asked timidly, standing up. He relaxed a bit when she offered him a small smile.

"Well, Sister Kate didn't bite my head off like I thought," she pushed herself away from the door and grabbed Chrono by the collar as she passed him, dragging him to wherever she was headed. Chrono shrieked as he almost tripped to keep up with her pace.

"W-Wait, Rosette! Where are we going?"

"We've got a new job, Chrono! And I'm not going to mess this one up!" Rosette answered cockily. But behind her arrogant grin, Chrono could tell that she was truly determined to not fail in whatever it was they had to do.

**:DDDD:**

As soon as Sister Rosette and Chrono left to report to Head Sister Kate, Father Remington made a beeline to the medical wing of the Order. He had sensed something strange about the injured boy, but nothing demonic. No, it was something different, but still unusual. So, he decided to get a closer look at him. When he arrived at infirmary there were dozens of Sisters rushing around to complete errands, their busy chatter creating a low buzz. It seemed odd that they were this active when it was just before sunrise, but Father Remington dismissed it as he recalled why he came in the first place. Amidst all the chaos he spotted a young Sister behind a desk, up to her elbows in what he guessed was patient files. He walked up to her.

"Excuse me," Father Remington called.

The girl glanced up, and did a double take as she realized who was speaking to her. Most of the Sisters, if not all, had a crush on Father Remington, and the petite brunette was no exception. She blushed. "Y-Yes?"

He smiled charmingly. "Could you tell me where a young blond boy is being treated? He was brought in just this morning."

The Sister felt her heart flutter. "Um …" She wasn't sure who exactly Father Remington was talking about, she had only switched shifts a few minutes ago. But she frantically began searching through the files that had taken over her desk anyway. "A blond boy …"

Father Remington scanned the hall and saw a nurse pushing someone in a wheelchair into a room. It was the boy.

He turned to the girl and smiled again. "Thank you, but I've found him." With that, he headed towards the room the boy was in. The Sister stared after him, silently rebuking herself for not being flirtier.

Father Remington arrived at the room as the nurse was leaving. She looked to be about fifty years old, someone safe to talk to without the risk of being glomped. He asked her if they knew who he was, or if any family had come to visit him.

The nurse shook her head. "No, no one's come." A disturbed look shadowed her expression. "Though I can't say I'm surprised. There's something strange about that boy."

"Really?" he didn't think anyone else would notice. "What makes you say that?"

The corners of her eyes wrinkled as she peered inside where the boy was lying beneath the covers, resting peacefully. "I've seen prosthetics before, but none like the ones he has. A solid metal arm and leg. I don't like to think about why someone his age would need or want something like that. It could only mean trouble." Sensing that the woman was about to rant to him about it, Father Remington thanked her politely and entered the room.

What the nurse said sounded unlikely, but there wasn't a reason to lie about it. He decided that he should see for himself. He walked up to the side of the bed and lifted the covers. His eyes widened slightly at what he saw. The boy's entire right arm was made of metal. As Father Remington's gaze traveled down, he saw that the boy's left leg from the knee down was also metal. He dropped the cover, his brow furrowing. Metal prosthetics were unheard of, and the idea was irrational. It would be more of a hassle to drag around heavy metal limbs instead of light wooden or plastic ones. And then there was the odd feeling Father Remington got from him. There was no doubt that he was human, but he was also something more. An apostle, perhaps?

Father Remington sighed and sat in one of the two chairs available in the room. There was no point in asking himself questions that couldn't be answered. He would have to wait until the strange boy woke up.

**:DDDD:**

A young blond haired boy, around the age of ten years old, laid face-down on a beach, his arms spread out as if he were hugging the sand. The waves rolled in and out, growing closer and closer to the boy. Before it could reach him, he was pulled out by an older blond boy. The sickly-looking teen pulled the boy away from the shore until he reached a beach house, laying the boy near the stairs which lead onto the deck.

"Lord Joshua!" A woman in a maid's uniform called softly. She stood in the doorway of the deck, unaware of the young boy he'd saved. "Are you feeling well? Perhaps you should return to bed. You still haven't recovered."

Joshua smiled up at the black haired woman. His sister. He loved her so much. "You worry too much, sis," he replied lightly. In truth, he wasn't feeling that well, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. He had to stay strong for his sister, so that he could always protect her.

She began walking toward him. "Are you sure, Lord Joshu–" She stopped when she saw the little boy. "If I may inquire," she bowed slightly. When he didn't object, she continued. "Who is this boy?"

Joshua gaze returned to the boy. "I don't know. We should tell Lord Aion, so he can help him like he helped me."

"As you wish, Lord Joshua," she bent down and picked up the blond boy, taking him inside with Joshua at her heels.

* * *

**Just to clear up any confusion, this happens after the last episode of FMA, not The Conqueror of Shamballa. And I haven't seen Chrono Crusade in a while. I wasn't sure if that maid lady called Joshua "Lord" or "Master", so I just went with lord. Sorry if some things were off or just completely wrong. But hey, it's a fanfic! **

**Please R&R!**


	2. The Great Depression

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or Chrono Crusade.**

**Chapter Two- The Great Depression**

* * *

"Ed! Ed, wake up!"

Edward Elric snapped his eyes open at the familiar feminine voice calling his name. Looking down at him was Winry Rockbell with a worried expression gracing her face. The way she hovered over him gave Ed a strange sense of déjà vu, but he ignored it for the moment. He blinked repeatedly, making sure that she wouldn't disappear. Wasn't he supposed to be laying on a street somewhere? "Winry?"

She smiled in relief and left his line of vision. Ed managed to push himself into a sitting position – his left shoulder throbbed faintly – and spotted Winry standing a few feet away with her hands on her hips. "You need to be more careful Ed," she scolded. "You could have died with the wounds you had."

"Yeah," he replied absent-mindedly.

Winry cast a concerned look in his direction before moving toward the door. "I'll get you something to eat, okay?" With that, she left Ed to think about his situation. The last he recalled, the Gate had dropped him off on some strange street. Then he was hit by a car, and things got a little fuzzy from there. All he got out of it was remembering the pain of his shoulder as it broke against the sidewalk. After that, he guessed that he had passed out. As for how he got to Risembool, he wasn't sure. He moved his left shoulder experimentally but, like before, it only throbbed. He could have sworn it was broken. He would've had to have been out for a long time if his arm had completely healed.

Then, Ed remembered Al. His little brother, whom he had failed to protect, was either trapped in the Gate or consumed by it. How could he have let that happen? As the elder brother, he should have been the one to suffer the consequences, not Al. How could he begin to explain why he was here, and Al was not? How could he tell Winry?

The door creaked open as Winry carried a tray of food inside, setting it on the bedside table. With her back still turned to him, she wiped her hands on her pants. "When we found you, you were alone. Where's Al?"

Ed felt his blood run cold. He looked over to Winry, but she still hadn't turned around.

"Where is Al?" She roughly asked again.

"I don't know," he admitted, staring at his hands. How much damage had they done over the years?

"You're pathetic."

His head whipped up, his surprised gaze landing on a smirking Winry with her hands on her hips. She looked like she did that time they arrived in Rush Valley; with a slightly-crazed gleam in her eyes, ready to take something apart. Why was she acting like this? She was always there to console him, even when it was his fault. Even when she was angry, she would've never insulted him when he was down. She would've never been so cruel. His eyes narrowed as he came to one conclusion. Winry _didn't_ act like this.

"Who are you?" he demanded, glaring at the imposter.

For a moment, "Winry" remained silent and unmoving. Then her smirk grew into a wider grin as her skin, hair, and clothes changed, morphing into someone else. When she – or _he_ – had completely transformed, Ed growled.

"Envy!" he glared at the homunculus. "What are you doing?"

He scoffed. "What am _I_ doing? What are _you_ doing, Edward Elric? You of all people should know that the Gate isn't something you can mess with. Didn't you learn that the first time around?"

"Shut up!" Ed yelled, preparing to attack him. But his eyes widened when his body didn't move. He looked down at himself and, although he could see his body, he felt like it wasn't there. Like he had ghost limbs. _What's going on?_ He thought as he tried to move his index finger. When Envy chuckled, he returned to glaring intensely at him. "Hey!" Ed growled. "What did you to me? Why can't I move?"

Envy threw his head back and laughed before looking back at the fuming teenager. "I didn't do anything, shrimp. It's your fault. You're too weak."

"No I'm not!" Ed roared angrily, struggling against his immobile body. "I'll take you on right now!"

Envy sighed, dropping to the floor and sitting in a cross-legged position. He rested his chin on one hand, looking bored. "Yeah, yeah. Keep telling yourself that, shorty. But you and I both know that's not true. It's not true because you couldn't even save your precious little brother."

Ed froze, murderously glaring at the soon-to-be-dead homunculus. As soon as he figured a way out of the invisible restraints holding him back … "_Bastard! I'll kill you!_"

He watched as Envy morphed again, his black spiky hair shortening and turning blond. His clothes changed and his height dropped to that of a child, turning into someone Ed hadn't seen since he was a young boy. In front of him stood a very real-looking Alphonse, before they had tried to bring their mother back with human transmutation; it was as if it had never happened. Ed knew it wasn't him, that it wasn't really his little brother walking over to him right now. But that didn't stop his heart from beating faster. It didn't stop the guilt from washing over him like a tidal wave, drowning him in its bitterness.

The fake Al looked at him with those clear golden eyes, filled with fake tears. "You'll kill me?" Ed winced. "Brother, why? We're supposed to protect each other. Why didn't you protect me? Why didn't you _save_ me?"

"Stop it," Ed closed his eyes, repeatedly telling himself this wasn't real. It was Envy in disguise, using his weaknesses against him. _C'mon you idiot_, he told himself. _You fought a homunculus that looked like your own mother!_

But Ed found himself unwilling to open his eyes. He'd had years to deal with his mother's death and the failed transmutation, with Al by his side. Now he had to deal with what he'd done to Al and, this time, he was by himself. He couldn't bear to face his little brother, not yet. He had to redeem himself first, somehow make up all his failures before he could call himself strong enough to try and save Al again. But for now, he just couldn't open his eyes.

"Just like I said," Envy's voice laughed triumphantly next to his ear. "Pathetic."

"No!"

**:DDDD:**

Ed jolted upright, gasping as his mind tried to piece together what was happening. _It was a dream_, he sighed in relief, though not feeling much better. _No, a nightmare. It was a nightmare_. After he'd calmed down, his eyes darted around the light blue room he was in. He was lying in an elevated bed with crisp, white sheets. His left arm was covered in bandages, as well as every other scratch and bruise on his body. Now that he thought about his injuries, his arm ached with a dull, piercing throb from his sudden movement; the back of his head felt like it was swollen. He continued to look around the room, slowly realizing that he must have been sent to a hospital. He glanced at the door to his room, which was slightly cracked open. If he strained his neck a little, he could just barely see two people standing outside of it, talking quietly.

From what he could tell, one of them was a blond-haired man dressed in some sort of blue uniform. Military, probably. Maybe they had found his pocket watch and called a soldier in. Next to the man was a woman in a black nun's uniform. It sounded like they were talking about him, but he could only catch a few of their words over the noise of the hall.

"… don't like this … All you can tell me … that boy? … nothing else?"

"I apologize … a threat … surely…"

"And … not a devil?"

"Yes …. waking up soon… ask him a few questions, shall we?"

"Of course."

It wasn't much to go on, but Ed quickly decided that he had to keep his guard up. Whatever they were talking about, especially that weird bit about a "devil", didn't sound positive to him. He quickly laid back into bed when the door opened, and the two figures behind his door entered. The woman entered first, clad in the black in white robes of a classic nun. Her sharp eyes, not at all softened by the round glasses she wore, scrutinized him. Then the blond-haired man walked in, and it became obvious to Ed that he was not military. At least, not one he knew about. For one, there was a large golden cross beneath his neck, closing his jacket off.

The nun spoke first. "My name is Kate Valentine, but you will call me Sister Kate. I am the head Sister of the Magdalene Order." Ed blinked, not sure if he was supposed to be impressed. He'd never heard of the Mad-whatever-she-said Order. His attention was brought to the blond-haired man when he spoke.

"Good morning," he greeted, more politely than the nun had. "My name is Ewan Remington, or Father Remington. I am also part of the Magdalene Order."

An awkward silence rose when they said nothing else, waiting for Ed to introduce himself. He glanced back and forth between them, still unsure about them. They certainly didn't seem like enemies, but he'd learned – via Fuhrer King Bradley – that enemies could be deceitful. Well, telling them his name wouldn't be bad, would it? "Edward Elric. I'm the Fullmetal Alchemist," he crossed his arms, the movement attracting both their gaze's onto his automail arm. Hadn't they ever seen one before?

The nun, er, Sister Kate, glanced back at him. "Is that a joke? Alchemists don't exist," she scoffed incredulously. "Alchemy is a dying, if not dead, science."

Ed gaped at her. "That's not true!" he exclaimed. "There are plenty of alchemists living in Amestris!"

Sister Kate frowned. "What is Amestris? I've never heard that name before."

If he'd looked surprised before, then he was completely blown away now. No alchemy and no Amestris? Something wasn't right, in fact, something was very, _very_ wrong. The wheels in his head started turning, spouting out multiple explanations. This could be another nightmare, one he had yet to wake from. This could be an elaborate trick, though he couldn't come up with a reason for why someone would pull off something so complicated. Or, maybe, the Gate had taken him _completely_ somewhere else. To another world? A place where alchemy was dead and Amestris didn't exist?

It was too much to process. His head started pounding, refusing to believe it. He needed proof. "Where am I?" he whispered.

Sister Kate was disturbed by the boy's questions. Did he hit his head too hard? "You're in the Magdalene Order, in New York. Are you alright?"

Father Remington observed Edward's exchange with Sister Kate, slightly amazed. This boy didn't appear to be of this world, based on his reactions and inquiries. But for something like that to be possible would be unfathomable. He also called himself an alchemist, but it was an area of science that proved to be useless time and time again for other, much older, scientists. There would be no reason for him to defend alchemy when it was clearly a fool's challenge. Unless, he truly believed it could be practical. Either that or this boy had somehow managed to succeed where countless others had failed. For him to be able to do that, he would have to be exceptionally intelligent and powerful. That might explain the strange feeling he got from this boy.

He was brought out of his thoughts when Edward clapped his hands, wincing due to his arm. Nothing happened. "No …" he began clapping his hands repeatedly, harder and harder each time.

"What are you doing?" Sister Kate demanded. She felt a strange mixture of worry and annoyance, the feeling she usually reserved for Sister Rosette. "If you want your arm to heal, stop that!"

Edward listened, laying his arms at his sides and looking up at Father Remington. "Hey, Remington," Edward said. He didn't fail to notice the slight desperation in the boy's voice as he spoke. "Would you mind getting me something to write with, like chalk?"

Father Remington nodded. "I'll return shortly." True to his word, he came back only two minutes later with some chalk and a blackboard the size of a briefcase.

"Thanks," Edward snatched the chalk from the man's hand, ignoring the small blackboard completely. Upon seeing this, Sister Kate sent a short prayer that she wouldn't have to deal with another uncouth child like Sister Rosette.

Edward carefully slid out of bed, ignoring Sister Kate's order to stop, and got onto his hands and knees. They watched as he began to draw a circle with words and symbols on the floor. When he was done, he only hesitated a moment before pressing flesh and metal palms on the edge of the circle. Again, nothing happened. "No," Edward gasped, more to himself. "I-I can't …"

By now, Sister Kate was confused about what the boy was trying to do, while Father Remington had his own silent suspicions. He couldn't reveal them now, not until he was entirely sure. He noticed that the boy had fallen into some sort of trance, staring at his hands with wide, disbelieving eyes. Father Remington glanced at Sister Kate, who also seemed concerned for the boy. He approached him cautiously, ready for anything the boy might do. "Edward?"

He glanced up at Father Remington and, disturbingly, started to laugh. There was no humor in his eyes. Instead, his strange, golden eyes were shadowed with agony and hopelessness. "I guess I had it coming," was all he said before he returned to staring at his hands, mumbling to himself.

Before they could help Edward or ask him any more questions, Rosette came through the door with Chrono. Sister Kate glanced worriedly from the duo to Edward, who was hidden from sight on the other side of the bed. She couldn't deal with Sister Rosette and a potentially insane boy at the same time.

"The nurse told me that this kid should be awake, so," Rosette frowned when she saw the empty bed. "Where is he? Is he alright? Did he leave already? He didn't even give me a chance to apologize, that jerk!"

She stopped when Sister Kate sternly said, "Rosette." She looked at the head Sister, confused. Sister Kate seemed more serious than usual. She turned to Father Remington, though he seemed a bit serious, too. Why were they so down?

When the blond-haired boy stood up from behind the bed, she understood. Hunched forward, staring at his hands in misery, he was the picture of despair.

**:DDDD:**

He sat in a chair by the window, watching as the sky grew darker. His stumps had been aching for the past hour, so it didn't come as a surprise when it started raining. He watched rain hit the glass with a soft pattering sound, then slide down noiselessly. Occasionally, he would glance down the street and catch glimpses of people running to escape the moderate drizzle. He sighed and closed his eyes, leaning his forehead against the cool glass. If only the cold could spread throughout his body, then it might numb the pain.

He'd been in the hospital for a week, now. Or maybe it was more than that. It could have been two weeks, a month, years … He wouldn't have noticed. He would have remained in the chair he was sitting in, staring at the rain. It was all he could do. It was all he was good for.

In this world, whether it was real or not, he wasn't "Edward Elric, Fullmetal Alchemist". He was simply, _Edward Elric_. And that wasn't good enough.

* * *

**Here's the conversation between Sister Kate and Father Remington:**

**"I don't like this, Father Remington. All you can tell me, is that we must keep that boy? Can you give me nothing else?"**

**"I apologize, Sister Kate. If he was a threat, I would surely tell you."**

**"And you're sure that he's not a devil?"**

**"Yes, possibly quite the opposite. The nurse said he should be waking up soon. Let's ask him a few questions, shall we?"**

**"Of course."**

**Tips, comments, questions? There's a little review button down there that likes to be pressed!**


	3. Into the Oblivion

**First off, I'd like to apologize for this long-overdue chapter. I really have to focus in school so, unfortunately, my updates will be far and few in between. But, when summer gets here (which is soon, mind you), I should be able to update much more quickly =D**

**Second, thank you very much for everyone who reviewed, favorited this story, and added me to their author's list! I'm so glad you guys enjoy reading this, and that is my motivation to keep writing. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or Chrono Crusade**

**Chapter Three: Into the Oblivion**

_**"No matter how we close our eyes, there's a whole world out there bigger than ourselves and our dreams..." -Edward Elric**_

* * *

During the course of less than one day, word had spread of Edward's arrival at the Magdalene Order. Much to the dismay of a certain Sister, no details were left out of the story as it was passed from one person to another, catching a few exaggerated details along the way. It wasn't at all surprising to them that Rosette was the reason for Edward's admission into the Order's hospital wing in the first place. In fact, they expected no one else to be the cause of it. But what kept them talking about it for the following week was Edward's progress.

True, Sister Rosette (and by extension, her partner Chrono) were assigned to help him recover. And, according to Sister Kate, the dynamic duo was actually doing a good job, for once. But of course, that was only concerning Edward's physical health. Mentally speaking, the blond-haired mystery was a train-wreck.

Edward Elric hadn't spoken a word since the day of his arrival, resigning himself to his bed or in the chair by his window. He wouldn't eat until, eventually, his nurse came to force-feed him. When he proved to be too much of a match for the frail, old woman, she feed him his nutrients through an IV with the assistance of a few more nurses.

There were also rumors going around that Edward had drawn strange symbols on the floor of his room with chalk, as told by the janitor responsible for cleaning it up. This raised some questions from the members of the Order, and soon, Edward became the topic of many discussions. Naturally, they were curious about him. No one had come to the Order, looking for Edward and claiming that he was their family or friend. And apparently, nothing could be found about Edward Elric (courtesy of a few eavesdropping nurses), not even his birthday. He was a complete and utter mystery that was practically begging to be solved.

As a result, a few Sisters attempted to visit Edward, in a useless effort to unravel his secrets. They were quickly chased away by Edward's nurse and were warned to not come back. However, only a few hours later, the Sisters came back to renew their attempt. Only this time, they brought reinforcements.

A whopping thirty-seven Sisters, most of whom had a crush on the silent teen, were intent on entering Edward's room, if only to see him.

It was then that Sister Kate decided to change Sister Rosette's duty into another form of helping Edward. Instead of directly aiding him (bringing food, giving him medicine, helping his nurse), she would help Edward by keeping back his ever-growing group of fangirls from breaking down the door.

"I said _stay back_!" Sister Rosette screeched, her temper flaring. Those around her were smart enough to get out of the way before she got physical. "How would you like it if I bother you when you're sick, huh?"

"Please, just let him rest," Chrono pleaded with a strained smile, trying to keep his half of the crowd at bay. They were at this for two hours already… "He needs peace and quiet."

"We'll be quiet, we promise!"

"Just one look!"

"There's no harm in taking some of his hair, right?"

"Please let us in!"

Rosette growled in frustration. "What's wrong with you people? If you really cared about him, you'd leave him alone until he's better!"

"Says you," a brunette Sister near the front scoffed. She smiled too sweetly, placing a hand on her hip. "It's your fault that he's crazy in the first place. I bet something disconnected in his head when you hit him."

Everyone became silent, save for the noise of the hall, as every Sister present held their breath. All eyes were on Rosette, waiting for her reaction.

Rosette's face was downcast, her bangs obscuring half her face and making it impossible to tell what her expression was. Her fists were clenched tightly at her sides, trembling as if she were holding them back.

Chrono approached apprehensively, taking baby steps toward Rosette. You never knew when it came to her temper, so it was best to keep his guard up. "Rosette…?"

Her head snapped up, icy blue eyes glaring fiercely at the brunette. Chrono acted quicker than Rosette did, tightly wrapping his arms around his partner's waist just as she lunged for the other Sister. She struggled furiously in his arms, trying desperately to break free with frustrated shouts.

The brunette, thanking her lucky stars that Chrono was always around to keep the hot-headed Sister in check, quickly made her escape, followed by the rest of the Sisters gathered around Edward's door. No one wanted to stick around Sister Rosette when she was really ticked off.

"Come back here!" she growled at their retreating forms. "Say that again to my face!"

"Please, calm down Rosette," Chrono keep his hold firm. "She's gone now. They're all gone."

She continued to struggle for a few moments before becoming limp in Chrono's arms. He didn't let go, however, because she was still trembling. It wouldn't do to let her go when she was still angry –

His thoughts were stopped cold when he felt something wet fall onto his hand. Then he heard a sniff.

Was she crying?

Chrono immediately loosened his hold and moved in front of Rosette, where her bangs had once again hidden her eyes from view. He opened his mouth to ask what was wrong, but she spoke before he could.

"She's right," Rosette said, her voice thick from trying to hold back tears. "It is my fault."

Chrono frowned, his heart tugging with worry. Rosette was always so strong, and it hurt him to see her like this… vulnerable and insecure. "Hey," he called softly. Rosette looked up, coming face-to-face with a grinning Chrono. "You never get discouraged, remember?"

Rosette couldn't help but smile, especially with how funny Chrono looked when he grinned like that. She didn't feel a whole lot better, but with Chrono beside her, she could make an effort to try. "Thanks."

**:DDDD:**

Father Remington walked down the crowded corridors of the Magdalene Order's hospital wing once again, deep in thought. It was quite an interesting week, to say the least, even beside their new guest. The Order's hospital wing had recently taken in a record-high number of patients. Even the city's hospitals were overflowing with patients, which, of course, raised a few suspicions. The police were starting to think it was the work of some gang or organization, as all the patients admitted had been beaten within an inch of their life.

But something felt off about it. The victims were ordinary citizens, innocent people that hadn't done any harm and posed no threat. There was no purpose to this, no rhyme or reason…

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. He didn't yet have all the pieces to this new puzzle, so it wouldn't do any good to try and figure it out. All he would get was an incomplete picture, and possibly end up worse than he started off.

Father Remington stopped in front of a door with a sign which read: **Dr. Marcoh, Hospital Administrator **

_Perhaps he has another piece of the puzzle to offer_…

Dr. Marcoh was one of his and the Elder's few friends, and a reliable ally when one was needed. He had been a great help to Father Remington and the Order on numerous occasions involving strange events, proving to be useful in finding the truth. No matter what it was, Dr. Marcoh always managed to give a helping hand, however small it might have been.

He knocked on the door, hearing a strangely muffled, "Come in!" before pulling the door open. He was quite startled when a wave of papers flooded out of the room and pooled around his feet. He looked into the room curiously.

Every corner of the doctor's office seemed to be stacked with papers, even piling on the floor. Father Remington glanced around the room, but couldn't spot the administrator anywhere. "Dr. Marcoh?"

"Yes, yes," came a gruff voice. A stack of papers near the windows shifted slightly before toppling over, revealing the middle-aged, graying man. He smiled upon seeing Father Remington. "Ewan, what a nice surprise! It's been too long!" Dr. Marcoh trudged through his office, slowly but surely making his way to the door. "Please excuse the mess; it's been so busy nowadays… paperwork is piling higher and higher by the minute."

"That's quite unfortunate," Father Remington frowned. "Isn't there anyone willing to help you?"

Dr. Marcoh laughed bitterly, finally reaching the door and stepping into the hall with Father Remington. "If only. I may be the administrator, but if I fired everyone who didn't want to help me, then there'd be no more doctors or nurses left."

"Sorry to hear it," Father Remington paused as Dr. Marcoh pushed all the papers that had spilled into the hall back into his office, closing the door to prevent them from sliding back out. "I'll see if I can find someone to assist you."

Dr. Marcoh waved his hand. "You don't have to do that. It's really not that much…"

"It's a startling amount, Tim. Even you must have realized that. Something strange is happening," Father Remington watched as understanding dawned on Dr. Marcoh's wrinkled features.

"So then, this isn't a social visit?"

"I'm afraid not."

The doctor nodded, turning on his heel and quickly walking down the hall. "Then let's go somewhere private. Obviously, my office isn't exactly the best choice."

Father Remington followed Dr. Marcoh into a larger room, with six comfortable-looking chairs surrounding a large, rectangular table in the center of the room. Right beside it was a smaller table against the wall, with a few folders tossed onto it. In the corner farthest from the door was a large mahogany bookcase, filled to the brim with books of various sizes and colors.

"This is where the staff may come during their break, for lunch or to catch up on paperwork. I believe we'll be able to discuss what the trouble is quite safely in here." Dr. Marcoh sat in one of the chairs, grunting as he did so. "What have you gathered so far?"

Father Remington took the seat beside Dr. Marcoh, drumming his fingers against the table. "It's painfully obvious that someone is behind this, but the reason is still yet to be discovered. The police think it may be an organization… they're even going as far as throwing in the Mafia's possible involvement. But I have a feeling that this stretches deeper than anyone realizes."

Dr. Marcoh nodded. "Your reasoning is a bit more than I've been able to come up with, but it's more or less the same."

"Losing your touch?" Father Remington joked with a chuckle.

The middle-aged man sniffed indignantly, mock-glaring at his friend. "I still have a few cards up my sleeve." He immediately sobered. "I've read nearly all the reports of the victims admitted into the Magdalene Order, as well as a few from nearby hospitals. And… I've noticed something odd."

Father Remington nodded. Could this be the missing piece?

"I've noticed that there were more male attacks than women, though it's still a lot." His brow furrowed in concentration as he recalled the specifics. "All the male victims were either brown or blond-haired, between the ages of fifteen and forty-eight. As for the female victims, nearly all of them had black hair and were in their mid-twenties to thirties. There have been a few that stray from the norm, but other than those, their descriptions stayed relatively the same."

"Hmm. That _is_ strange," Father Remington mused to himself. It wasn't exactly the ground-breaking clue he'd been hoping for, but it wouldn't hurt to store the information for later. The smallest details could add up to something larger. "Have you heard anything from the police yet?"

"No, nothing that you haven't already said," Dr. Marcoh sighed. "They're wasting their time looking into the Mafia, as if they could get the evidence to prove it, even if it was them. What they need to focus on is _why_ someone would want to do this. What would one gain from all of this?"

Father Remington nodded in agreement. It was the same thing he himself had been trying to figure out.

Dr. Marcoh shook his head, clearing his thoughts. He felt that there was nothing left to say, and so decided to change the subject. "By the way, how's Edward doing? I haven't been able to check on him recently, with all these priority cases coming in."

"He's definitely gotten better. However – " Father Remington broke off suddenly, his eyes growing wide as his mind put together two pieces of the puzzle. And all it took was for Dr. Marcoh to mention them consecutively within the same conversation. He glanced at his friend, who appeared confused by his sudden silence. "… Edward hasn't spoken a word since Sister Kate and I questioned him… around the same time these strange attacks began."

The doctor frowned, confused by what Father Remington seemed to be implying. "You think the boy may have some part in this?"

Father Remington rested his chin on his hand, trying to organize his thoughts. "Even before I went to visit Edward, I took note that our clinic seemed to be busier than usual, especially that early in the morning. It may be just coincidence, but…" _there are no such thing as coincidences_, was his unfinished thought. No doubt, there was an ominous air about Edward, even to regular people. His metal arm and leg were enough to make the nurses fear the mute boy. But even if his arrival and the attacks were synchronized, what would Edward's role be? He was only a child. Albeit one with no record of ever existing.

There were too many conflicting factors. The only way he could decipher this mystery was if he could get Edward himself to speak, and explain his presence here and a few other things that didn't add up… like his limbs. That, at least, would make him look less suspicious in the eyes of many.

"I'll have to pay him a visit," Father Remington said, standing up from his chair.

"Would you mind if I tagged along?" Dr. Marcoh asked, also getting to his feet. "I'm curious about him and the things I've heard."

Father Remington pursed his lips, thinking it through carefully. The doctor could actually help, if he came and studied Edward. Perhaps he could form his own opinions on why the boy chose to be silent, though Father Remington had his own suspicions. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt," he finally answered, walking toward the door. "Let's go."

**:DDDD:**

Edward stared blankly at the chalk in his automail hand. He had told himself that he would save Al after he'd redeemed himself, but…

He closed his metal fingers over the small piece of chalk. It just wasn't that simple.

There were countless times he had failed when the only option was to succeed. Getting Al his body back, for example. It was something he had to do, but now… well, he wasn't sure his brother was even alive.

_Don't think like that,_ a small part of him, the part that still clung to the single strand of hope he had left, scolded quietly in his mind. _There's still a chance. If there was some way to get back home, you would see Al there, waiting for you…_

_There's no chance. Alchemy is useless here and without it, there's no way of getting back home_, the larger part of him, the part that had given up, sighed in bitter resignation. It was only logical that Ed inclined to agree with this part of himself. After all, it appealed to his scientific nature. "Hope" wasn't a valid tool when it came to solving problems, so it didn't do much good to waste his time dwelling on it. He needed hard facts; undeniable truths that could lead him to the answer he was looking for. The problem was, he had absolutely no idea where to start.

It was times like this that he liked to look at the rain.

Wherever the Gate had sent him, it sure as hell rained a lot. Each day was shrouded beneath dark, gray clouds, which suited his mood perfectly. He would stare at the raindrops as they hit the glass, listening intently to the sound they made, to the point where it was the _only_ thing he could hear. But, unfortunately, it didn't distract him for long. No, it seemed nothing could accomplish that.

His mind constantly whirred with countless solutions and theories, one after another being rejected. _Impossible_, his mind screamed. _Everything here is backwards!_

He made a promise… but would he be able to keep it?

He ignored the sound of his door creaking open. It was a little early, but he assumed it was his nurse coming in to try and feed him again. Couldn't they understand that he wasn't hungry? It didn't help that every time she brought his meals, she tried to spoon-feed him like a damn baby.

Ed's thoughts were cut short when a blonde man entered his peripheral vision.

"Hello, Edward," the man greeted politely.

Ed turned his head to look at him, giving him a blank look. The blonde guy looked really familiar…

"I'm Father Remington, if you recall. Sister Kate and I questioned you just last week."

Oh.

Father Remington took a seat on Ed's hospital bed, his expression an odd combination of light and serious. "I'll get right to the point, Edward. There are a few questions I have, and you might be able to answer them."

Ed looked away, turning his gaze back to the window. There wasn't any real reason that he refused to speak. At first, he concentrated all his mental power into trying to understand the equivalency of what the Gate had done, entering the same "reading-mode" as when he read books. He also weighed his options for the possibility of returning to Amestris, entertaining the idea that he even could. Without the factor of alchemy, everything he thought of was useless. At that point, people had already come to expect his mute state. And he didn't feel like sharing his life story with anyone, because he was sure they were curious about him; just by the way they gawked at his automail.

He heard the man sigh. "I'm not sure what's happened to upset you into silence… but nothing good can come out of it."

Ed firmly kept his eyes on a single drop of rain. Of course he knew that, he didn't need pretty-boy to remind him. He just didn't trust them enough to tell them anything about himself; they didn't need to know. Besides, they couldn't keep him here forever. They'd have to release him sometime, or else he'd have to leave on his own. And then…

And then what?

He didn't even know anyone; he didn't know _anything_ about this world! It wouldn't be too hard to get adjusted to life on this side of the Gate (surviving was one of many things he knew how to do), but it was an issue of time. How long would it take for him to learn what this world had to offer? He already knew alchemy was apparently out of the question here. What else wouldn't work? What else _could_ work? Now that he thought about it, there were many variables he hadn't taken into account and would have to research about. It was a grave oversight that could potentially keep him from even attempting from going home until many years from now.

Shit.

"Mr. Elric," an old, familiar voice called. Ed's thoughts froze, his eyes widening as the man continued. "Have you experienced anything traumatizing, recently? Your mind may have set up some mental defenses…"

Ed turned his head slowly, not believing his ears. It couldn't be.

"… to protect yourself from that experience. I wouldn't be surprised…"

It was. But how? He – Dr. Marcoh – Wasn't he killed by a homunculus?

"… if you didn't remember anything at all."

Ed blinked as time seemed to slow down, his mind working at a speed that only a genius could keep up with. First he took into account that this "Dr. Marcoh" didn't recognize him at all, judging by the friendly and concerned expression the doctor gave him. But he couldn't be sure, even if Dr. Marcoh did die… the Gate could be a bastard like that. He'd have to make sure later.

Then he moved on to something that could turn this situation in his favor. Dr. Marcoh or not, this man had just given Ed the perfect excuse for not telling them anything about himself. They couldn't get answers out of someone who didn't remember them, right? He'd play the part of an amnesiac, and they would have no choice but to believe him.

Father Remington studied Edward closely, though it was difficult. The boy gave no indication of having any sort of reaction, except for one moment. It was slight, but he saw Edward's shoulder's stiffen when Dr. Marcoh spoke. It confused Father Remington greatly, as it implied that Edward somehow knew the doctor, or his voice at least. But that was impossible, seeing as it was the first time Dr. Marcoh had even met the boy. Other than that, the blonde-haired mystery stayed just that: a mystery.

But everything changed when Edward turned to face them again. Father Remington could see a small spark of determination in Edward's strange, gold eyes. It begged the question of what could have triggered him to suddenly come back from his supposed "insanity".

"I don't remember anything," Edward mumbled out, confirming Dr. Marcoh's statement. His voice sounded a bit hoarse from underuse.

Father Remington ran a hand through his hair, holding back the urge to sigh. Well, this certainly complicated things. If Edward couldn't remember anything, then it was useless to ask him questions. However… only a week ago he told them his name, some sort of nickname, and the name of an unfamiliar place. If he truly didn't remember anything, how could he have come up with those? It wasn't likely that he lied, especially not after the breakdown he'd had.

"You were still able to give us your name," Dr. Marcoh pointed out, thinking along the same lines of his friend.

Edward frowned. "I meant that I don't remember what happened to me. I still know that my name is Edward Elric, and that I'm sixteen."

"Really?" Dr. Marcoh couldn't keep the surprise out of voice. "You seem much younger than that."

Ed's gold eyes flashed in annoyance as he looked at the doctor. He bit back the rather nasty comment he was about to make, just barely putting a lid to his temper. "Well, I'm not," he growled.

"Alright, alright," Dr. Marcoh replied defensively.

"There is one thing I would like to ask you, Edward," Father Remington asked smoothly. Ed immediately grew suspicious at the sound of the man's innocent tone, warily keeping his guard up for anything.

"Would you care to explain why you've refused to speak this past week?"

* * *

**The ending is a little abrupt, but I just had to post this chapter since I actually have the time do it.**

**Don't hesitate to correct me, if you see anything wrong. I've had been working on this for a while now (duh), but I can't catch every single mistake (even if I've gone through it a million times). Please leave a review on your way out!**


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